Fastener



March 22, 1932. R. MITCHELL:

FASTENER Filed Nov. 16 192'7 m n z 0 M 8 Rabat? Mzihlzall Patented Mar. 22, 1932' UNITED STATE-S 01mm iarrcnnnr, 012 DETROIT, uranium rasrnnnn I Application filed November 18, 1927. Serial N'o. 283,609.

., The present invention pertainstdanovel fastener designed particularly for attaching upholstery pads to automobile bodies. a.

In work of this character,the fastening 5 elements are carried by the pads and are ree'eivable in apertures formed in the frame.- work of the body, In order to avoid the necessity; of accurate alignment between the fastening elements and therespective aperv engage one of the surfaces of'this board. A a

retaining; ring is slidablg mounted on the neck; for engagement wit the other surface of the board, and the neck is further formed with adepression into which the ring may be snapped and thus maintained at a given maximum distance fromqthe base flange, so that longitudinal shifting of the neckin the openingisprevented.

The invention is fully disclosed of exampleinthe following description and in the accompanying drawings, in which -;,;Figure; l is a fragmentaryel'evation of the inner-wall of an automobilebody; j 1 5 ,Fig; 2 is a transverse section thereof, showing the manner of supporting. apad on the frameworkof thebody; Fig.3 is a'sectionon the line 3 3gof Fig- 32;. I

Fig; l isa perspective view of the fastener F'g; 5 isa perspective view of the retaining ..ring;and ,ll

Fig 6 is a sectionaliview of a modified for-mi I a Reference to. these views willnow bemade by use of'like'characters which are employed l. to designate corresponding parts-throughout.

r Inlelfigure 1 is illustrated *3 vfragment; 10

manner illustrated inFigure 2.

an automobile body including a'door 2 to the I j inner surface of which-isto be attached an upholstery pad 3.; The baseboard ,4 ofthe ad has a series ofapertures 5, andthe adacent 'face'of the framework member Zihas Q53. smaller apertures 6 substantially inregistrationwith the first named apertures.

Each of the larger apertures 5 containsa fastener element comprising a base 7 engag ing the inner surfacejfof the board l and aQ neck 8 extending fromthe base through the aperture. The neck fits loosely in theaperture, as clearly illustrated in FigureZ- and is split longitudinally as at 9 whereby a spring-character is imparted thereto. The

free end of the neck is formed with an; en-

larged headlO, also affected by the slots 9 and adapted to be compressed in order topass through an aperture 6 and through a retain} ing ring presently to be described, in the The loose fit of the neck 8 in the aperture 5 constitutes a 'fioating'relation between the baseboard and the fastener element, so that this element mayfbe adjusted to compensate forlrany reasonable inaccuracy in theaxial registration of the apertures 5 and 6, but, it is also desired to' prevent; longitudinal shifting of the fastener element with respect to the basehoardlWiththis object in view,rI mount airingfill on the neck of the fastener element 5 i and dimension, the partsso that the ring has a a tlght sliding fit on the neck.

, The neck is reduced in diameter next tojbase; for a length equal a. to maximum distance. re- 5 ,quired between the base andring, said dis- ;tancebeingthatrequired to hold the fastener "firmly to baseboard." Thereduction in diam-4 eter allows the uper part of the fastener ele- "ment to expand; thus holding the ring in jde- .9 'sired'position; Due to its tight 'fit on" the neck, the'ring on reaching the depression 12 *will snap therein and be held against exceeda ing a given spacing from the base 7. This a spacing is suflicient to accommodate thethick ness of the? baseboard 4 and yet permit the floating movement of. the fastener; element. At the innercircnmference of the ring 1 11 is "5 form'edra: flange 13' which engages the base 7 Zwhenithering isilocked thedepression 12 l face which'is nearer the framework 2. thismanner a greater effective length of the but this flange may be eliminated since only i invention wherein the base 7 of the fastener element engages the baseboard 4 on the sulrfastener element is obtained, or a shorter element may be used for a given extent of,

penetration into the framework. The retaining member in this instance has a base 20 which engages the remaining or more remote surface of the board 4 and further includes a stud or neck 21 whichenters the neck 8 of the fastening element. The depression 12 of this element acts outside of the retaining member rather than within it as in the other embodiment of the'invention.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details ofconstruction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

' What I claim is 1. In combination with a base member havslidably engage" the other surface of the base member, and means for maintaining amaximum'distance between the ring and base.

2. In combination with a base member havlng an oversized aperture, a fastener comprising a baseadapted to engage one surface of said base member, a neck extending from said base and passing loosely through said aperture, thereby permitting 7 free lateral shifting of the neck in any d rection, a fastener head on said neck, a retaining ring slidably mounted on said neck and adapted to member, and stop means on said neck for maintaining a maximum distance between said ring and base. V

3. In combination with a base member having an oversized aperture, a fastener comprislng abase adapted to engage one surface of sa d base member, an expanded neck extending from said base. and passing loosely ,through said aperture, thereby permitting free lateral shifting of the neck in any direction, a fastener head on said'neck a ring having a tight sliding fit onsaid neck and adapted to slidably engage the other surface of said base membensaid neck having a-reduced tion, a fastener head on said'neck, a ring having a tight sliding fit on said neck and adapted to slidably engage the other surface of said base member, said neck having a depression adapted to receive said ring and to retain the same.

5; In combination with a basemember havan oversized aperture, a fastener comprising a base adapted to engage one surface of said base member, a longitudinally slitneck extending from said base and passing loosely through said aperture, thereby permitting free'lateral shifting of the neck in any direction, a fastener head on said neck, a retaining ring having a tight sliding fit on said neck and adapted to slidably engage the other surably mounted on said neck and adapted to slidably engage the other surface of the member, and means for maintaining a maximum distace between the ring and base.

7. In combination with a base member having an oversized aperture, a fastener comprising a base adapted to engage one surface of said base member, a neck extending from.

said base and passing loosely through said aperture, thereby permitting free lateral shiftingof the neck in any direction,a fastener head on said neck,-said neck having a restricted portion, and a retaining member slidably engage the other surface of the base .ing a base adapted to engage one surface of said base member, a neck extending from said base and passing loosely through said aperture, thereby permitting free lateral shifting of the neck in any direction, a'fastener head on sald neck, a retaining member adapted to slidably engagethe other surface of said member, and means for retaining said member in engagement with said neck. I

9.111 combination with'a base member havmg an oversized aperture, a fastenercoinprising a base adapted to engage one surface of said base member, a neck extending from said base and passing loosely through said aperture, thereby permitting free. lateral shifting of the neck in any direction, a fastener head on said neck, and means on said neck engaging the other surface of said base member for retaining said base in sliding engagement with said base member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. ROBERT MITCHELL. 

